I have a little mental block about setting my serger up to do a rolled edge and trying it out because I have no idea what it is supposed to look like. I don't want to sew something if I can't tell if it's working right or not, kwim?

Is it like the lettuce-edge I've seen on some of dd's shirts? I want to make my mom cloth napkins for Christmas, would it be good for that?

TIA,
Shelly

No idea, but here's a bump. :D

Yes, the rolled edge setting on your serger can be used for cloth napkins or the lettuce edging.

I've used my rolled edge only once in my serger class as it was recently purchased so I'm not an expert. ;)

I can look in the manual if you have more questions.

~Ramie

Yes! A rolled hem/edge is exactly what you want for napkins and its on lettuce leaf edges too.

What happens is you set it up for a narrow three thread. Your rolled hem setting (either a throat plate change or a configuration on your machine) will drop one of the stitch fingers. Stitch fingers are the little fork looking things right behind your needle on the throat plate that forms the loops for the serging. By dropping the one on the right, it will force the fabric to curl under instead of going through the maching perfectly straight. The other part of a rolled hem, is the lower looper. The needle and upper looper stay about the same, but the tension on the lower looper has to be increased dramatically. On the Babylock Imagines and Evolves, this is done by moving the stitch selector to "d". Other models you have to adjust the tension. Instead of the loops meeting at the edge of the fabric, it pulls the upper looper clear around to the bottom of the fabric, essentially wrapping fabric in the upper looper. If you get whiskers sticking up, cut some wash away stabilizer and place it on top of your hem. Serge over the whole thing, then pull the stabilizer away from the stitches.

I hope this helps :)

Heather

I'm getting ready to do this for the first time.
What happens is you set it up for a narrow three thread.
For a narrow three thread, do I drop the left or the right needle? I would think the one of the left, but I want to doulble check.

Thanks for the answers, mamas!

Originally posted by Shelly
I'm getting ready to do this for the first time.

For a narrow three thread, do I drop the left or the right needle? I would think the one of the left, but I want to doulble check.

Thanks for the answers, mamas!

Yes, left. :)

I am addicted to rolled hems. It is the only stich that I can consistently set up on my serger that works as I want it. I am also very good with a rolled hem on my regular sewing machine. It works great for napkins.

I am also very good with a rolled hem on my regular sewing machine

How do you do that?

TIA

THere is a special foot, theat has sort of a "twist on it. It helps guide the fabric into a little 1/8" fold. I'll see if I can find a picture of it for you.
Here's a picture of it for you. I hope it helps. This link brings up a list of prsser feet. Go down & click on "rolled hem."
http://www.pfaffusa.com/sewacc_presserfeet2_frame.html

I have a couply of those little feet, I just didn't know that you call it a rolled hem foot, seems like I was told the name was something different, I can't remember what.

I've played with it a few times, and I can get it to work well in the middle of the piece, but at the start it doesn't work at all. If you have advice on it too, it'd be much appreciated.

I am getting a first-class education here :D

Let's see if I can explain this in a way that is at all understandable...

at the corner of the fabric, fold it over a little bit (1/16"?) drop the foot, and run about 3 stiches. Then reach back and pull on the threads, while you feed the fabric into the presser foot scroll. It should then begin to roll the hem, and you can stitch away. Yes, the first 1/2" isn't exactly rolled perfectly, but I have gotten over it.

Hope this makes any sense at all. My Pfaff machine manual has great instructions for many stitches, and this is one of them.

Originally posted by Shelly
I have a couply of those little feet, I just didn't know that you call it a rolled hem foot, seems like I was told the name was something different, I can't remember what.



I had always heard that referred to as a French hem foot, not a rolled hem.

Heather

It makes sense to me. I will try it tomorrow -- ds would like to nurse and I still haven't figured out how to "nurse at machine," LOL, so I am off to bed.

Thanks for all the great descriptions.

my serger must be different than everyone else's. I have a white 200 ats and a rolled hem is done with 2 threads only....the right needle and the lower looper. There' s a little metal doohickey that fits into the upper looper.

anyone else have a set-up like this or am I all alone?

Originally posted by Dannielle
my serger must be different than everyone else's. I have a white 200 ats and a rolled hem is done with 2 threads only....the right needle and the lower looper. There' s a little metal doohickey that fits into the upper looper.

anyone else have a set-up like this or am I all alone?

Thats a flatlock. It convinces the needle thread that its an upper looper basically and disables the upper looper.

Heather